The present invention broadly relates to an article of athletic footwear and, more specifically, pertains to a new and improved construction of a ski boot.
Generally speaking, the article of athletic footwear of the present invention comprises a ski boot having a heel region, a toe region and a longitudinal axis. The ski boot comprises a shell member provided with a sole and with pivot means defining a pivot axis extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the ski boot. The ski boot also comprises a rear upper portion having an outer side and engaging the pivot means for performing a forward pivoting motion about the pivot axis toward the toe region of the ski boot. The ski boot also comprises a pressure pad arranged within the shell member and intended to act upon the upper side of the foot of a wearer. The ski boot also comprises tensioning means arranged on the outer side of the rear upper portion for moving the pressure pad rearwardly toward the heel region of the ski boot. The ski boot also comprises connecting means for connecting the pressure pad with the tensioning means.
A ski boot of this type is known from the German Patent Publication No. 2,712,001 corresponding to the U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,332, granted July 10, 1979, in which the coupling between a retention member and a rear upper portion (spoiler) is constructed such that when the rear upper portion is pivoted forward toward the toe of the ski boot, the retention member is moved rearward in a direction toward the heel region of the ski boot. This has the result that during a forward lean or biasing motion in active skiing, i.e. when bending the lower leg forward, which causes a forward pivoting of the upper portion of the ski boot and therefore also of the rear upper portion, the force exerted by the retention member upon the foot is increased. This can, during extreme forward motions, lead to such a great pressure upon the foot that the wearer of the ski boot experiences pain.
A further ski boot is known in which a cable or cables connecting a retention member with a tensioning device is guided through pivot pins pivotably connecting a rear upper portion with a shell member such that the cables cross a pivot axis of the rear upper portion (cf. Raichle Sportschuh AG Brochure "Winter 83/84", European Patent Publication No. 0,114,209 and the initially mentioned cognate U.S. patent application Ser. No. 06/563,042, filed Dec. 19, 1983). This guidance of the cables ensures that the force exerted by the retention member upon the foot changes not at all or at most very little during a pivoting motion of the upper portion of the ski boot and therefore also of the rear upper portion. However, experience has shown that during an extreme forward motion a pressure effect upon the foot can nevertheless arise which is unpleasant or even painful to the wearer.